MMH5.5: Release Notes (RC15 Beta 17) news - Might & Magic: Heroes 5.5 mod for Heroes of Might & Magic V

This release will implemented a new 'chess mode' to replace the old duel mode, with very different rules for balancing.

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Chess Mode

Chess mode has very different rules than the old duel mode. The old duel mode was already replaced by the ARMG duel template (see H55-Duel-L25 demo map), which has similar balancing as user-made competitive duel maps. The TOE duel mode can never provide such balancing, especially since it has critical issues inherited from original game (War machines and tactics skill don't work)

Therefore Chess Mode takes a very different direction and will provide extremely balanced matches as if the combat map is truly a Chess game and victory is 100% decided only by player skill. It will completely ignore the rules of the H55 class system and be more like 'another game in a game'. All heroes in Chess mode are the same class 'Knight' and have the same specialization: "Chess Knight'. The armies are of their own faction and precisely numbered by weekly growth. Each hero has the same skills: expert sorcery without perks, basic offense + frenzy, basic defense + evasion, and all 4 magic schools (but without any perks in them). All heroes have all L1-3 spell (not mass) with a few omissions. High level spells are left out because the matches are not about winning a match based on casting one or two super spells. For each faction there is also a Chess Knight that only plays with unupgraded creatures, those are supposed to be used only against other Chess Knights with unupgraded creatures OR in a 3x3 faction vs faction match.

This release will lay the groundwork for the new game Mode, while in the future updates to it may be possible like more battlefields with symmetrical obstacle patterns or scripted events specifically for this mode.

Spell Update

The Vulnerability is now renamed 'Disruption' and inflicts a small amount of dmg to the target equal to hero level * 10, the defense reduction per cast is lowered by -1. This is now a more useful creeping spell. The disruptor spec is removed from the game (basically now everybody can be a weak disruptor and avengers start with this spell by default). Succubus mistress and blood mistress cast disruption at expert level

-the souldrinker specialization now applies the defense reduction with the suffering spell instead of the weakness spell. this way it works much better with might heroes who apply suffering with their regular attack. lorenzo now also has the souldrinker special.

Other fixes and balancing

-fixed dimension doors malfunctioning when any hero (friend or foe) on the map is garrisoned inside any town or a player is using his townscreen in simultaneous turns.
-fixed being able to start dimension door visit if there is an enemy near the town
-fixed rare script malfunctions when a hero with rune recycling is present on the map
-fixed players sometimes getting each others building bonuses from a distance
-fixed hero not getting +2 knowledge from blood rituals perk
-fixed electrocute giving celestial shield
-fixed elementals not actually having the primordeal ability
-fixed necro not getting single divine strength from rally perk
-fixed obelisks giving 2 luck on custom maps
-fixed ornella having 2 attack instead of defense
-fixed a lot of starting spells on heroes for consistency, tricksters now start with decay, runemages start with fire mines
-mephala starts with combat
-grok starts with master of curses
-melodia starts with master of blessings
-conjurers start with 2 knowledge and spellpower
-Improved AI creeping on ARMG & multiplayer maps
-slightly reduced hero combat dmg for all tiers
-reduced hero combat dmg against ballista by -33%
-Crypt, Stonevault and Druid cave have better odds for higher artifact quality
-deserter tower and orc tunnels have worse odds for higher artifact quality
-witch temple has slightly better odds for prisoners or L5 spell, but doesn't stack them with relic
-changed randomization of prisoner rewards from +0-3 to x0.8 + random 0-20%
-balanced awarded resource types between all battle sites
-lowered difficulty in early zones on templates 2P-LoopAlpha, 2P-LoopBeta, 2P-Ladder-L, 2P-Ladder-XL, 4P-ladder Xl, 4P-ladder-H
-removed 20% dmg bonus from plague tent
-reduced marketplace artifact selling cost to 25%
-reduced exp gain from shrines for chieftains to 500,1000,1500
-changed name of ability 'armored' to 'heavy armor' otherwise it makes no sense